We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($467 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Even though we had clear plans that we needed to accomplish, we still felt that we needed more after the second transfer. At the moment I have a new goal to complete the floors of the new extension of my new house. I have a running grocery business that has been supporting my saving plan in the informal saving group we started with other 20 village members each contributing KES 500 per month. I am hoping to receive my turn in May and hope I will accomplish the furnishing of the floors right after that.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Just after the enrollment by GiveDirectly in the village, a lot has changed not only in the lives of those who had been in extreme poverty but also in the middle-level households that have been struggling to meet their secondary need. In my opinion, GiveDirectly was fair enough to give everyone equal chance that has seen my family enjoy clean rainwater after I bought a tank, watch every program aired on the newly acquired Television, and also good lighting system that has been giving my children ample reading environment. I loved everything that has happened so far and am grateful to GiveDirectly hoping that they will keep doing the great work in other villages.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I purchased a large water tank with the second transfer after a long struggle that involved a daily buying of some liters of water both for my household use and the livestock. My household saw it good to spend KES 22000 that has so far reduced the frequency of moving livestock around in search of water since we have been collecting rainwater from the roof. I also acquired electronic appliances that include a wet battery at KES 4000, stereo system at KES 4500, and also paid the pending KES 10000 debt after obtaining a Television set on credit. I am glad that I am currently enjoying a good lighting system after obtaining pieces of lighting equipment that are powered by the wet battery and the pre-existing solar panel. I spent the remaining amount on injecting into the grocery business I had been running and also on the clothing for my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 10am. My neighbors has started to received the money and the were celebrating. Mine was not yet. So I was waiting for the mesages. It took around five minutes then I heard a message tone from my phone. When I checked it I felt so happy it was a message confirming that I have received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I immediately inform my spouse who was not at home. He was so happy too. We knew we would be able to build a house for our children.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have build an extension room for my children. The construction is on going. We live in a small house which cannot host all my family members comfortably. I depend on small scale farming, I sell groceries, the amount of money that I get through this is so small and only for meeting additional basic household items. My spouse is a masonry. He does his work whenever there are contracts available. The money that he gets is for school fees for our children. We had no extra money to buy the building materials. Our children sleep in the kitchen house. Since there are so many activities in the kitchen they were being disturb from doing their homework. Currently the construction is on going, when it's completed they will have a spacious room where they can do their assignment without being disturbed. We are so grateful for the support because his was always our wishes and it's being fulfilled already. We have now peace of mind to do other activities without being stress up like before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the money I received from GiveDirectly on buying building materials and build an extension room for my children to sleep. The construction is on going. We have a small house which cannot host all my family members conformable. I plough my farm ready to plant maize and beans when the rain comes. I bought food and clothes for my children. The rest of the money I have saved to pay the workers who are constructing the house.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This money will help my family alot. We have been planning to have a better house as the one we have now is build in a place that let in water . It is not comfortable to live in it especially during the rainy season because it is very cold and uninhabitable. Our plan has been to relocate it to another place but we had not gotten the funds. With this help it will now be possible to build a better one with a cemented the floor and also buy fittings and furnitures. This will cost us approximately USD 7500. We will use the rest for the purchase of maize for household consumption.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I do the business of groceries. I move them from house to house in the village . Iam normally done by 4 pm . My happiest part of the day is in the evening when I am resting after a busy day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship has been food security. We normally depend on maize for subsistence ,it is our stable food here . Since the outbreak of maize disease sometimes in 2007 , harvesting maize has been a thing of the past. So we buy maize which sometimes we cannot afford. At such time we eat on one meal. Sometimes it is really unbearable ,we hardly afford a descent meal .